Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,429 in South Korea versus $1,720 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in South Korea versus $2,626 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in South Korea versus $3,531 in Italy.

Living in South Korea costs about 17% less than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: South Korea 7% above, Italy 29% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,191 to $2,443, compared to $1,229–$1,770 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₩10.4K

$17.16 €14.96

-58.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.49 ₩62.8K

$81.4 €70.9

-46.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 ₩8,248

$11.60 €10.11

-50.78%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩5,303

$1.98 €1.73

85.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₩2,272

$3.00 €2.62

-47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,126

$1.36 €1.18

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ₩5,243

$5.92 €5.16

-38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 ₩7,060

$5.25 €4.58

-6.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩3,181

$1.70 €1.49

29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,422

$2.37 €2.07

29.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,479

$3.03 €2.65

2.31%

Eggs

$2.95 ₩4,263

$3.95 €3.44

-25.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 ₩20.0K

$16.66 €14.53

-16.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ₩13.6K

$12.26 €10.68

-23.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.00 ₩43.3K

$20.06 €17.49

49.55%

Apples (1kg)

$7.89 ₩11.4K

$2.55 €2.23

209.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩5,137

$2.20 €1.92

61.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ₩8,432

$2.75 €2.40

112.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 ₩9,136

$3.22 €2.81

96.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,490

$1.94 €1.69

95.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 ₩4,243

$1.82 €1.59

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 ₩3,552

$1.48 €1.29

66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₩1,739

$0.50 €0.43

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,819

$7.13 €6.21

-53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₩21.6K

$7.37 €6.43

102.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₩2,930

$1.76 €1.53

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩4,235

$2.53 €2.20

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,572

$1.99 €1.73

-45.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.70 ₩67.4K

$42.32 €36.90

10.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ₩4,644

$5.67 €4.94

-43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩827

$1.52 €1.32

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 ₩12.6K

$34.94 €30.46

-74.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,718

$2.09 €1.83

-43.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K ₩39.6M

$32.7K €28.5K

-16.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.3K ₩35.1M

$32.9K €28.7K

-26.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 ₩243.3K

$227 €198

-25.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$41.27 ₩59.6K

$13.58 €11.84

203.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 ₩31.9K

$31.57 €27.52

-29.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ₩76.6K

$57.7 €50.3

-7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 ₩29.0K

$25.23 €22.00

-20.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 ₩15.7K

$10.59 €9.24

2.93%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$383 ₩552.2K

$568 €495

-32.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K ₩33.5M

$10.5K €9,187

120.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩83.1K

$90.7 €79.0

-36.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 ₩69.4K

$40.49 €35.30

18.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 ₩116.0K

$99.8 €87.0

-19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₩157.8K

$130 €113

-15.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₩885.6K

$865 €754

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩588.9K

$672 €586

-39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 ₩2.3M

$1,523 €1,328

3.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₩1.4M

$1,078 €940

-9.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K ₩20.8M

$3,767 €3,284

282.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,535 ₩10.9M

$2,360 €2,058

219.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,161 ₩3.1M

$1,949 €1,699

10.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.41

-4.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $457 in South Korea, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $964 in Seoul vs $1,334 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,951 in South Korea, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 63% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 85% more in Italy.

Public transport is 267% more expensive in Italy.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Korea vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,817 per month in Italy and $1,500 in South Korea, there's a 21% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in South Korea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in South Korea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Korea, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: South Korea wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.